Acetaminophen Can Kill You

A buddy of mine from the Viet Nam War died awhile back. He seemed to be the picture of health. "G.I. Joe", as everyone called him, was a well known fixture in a small California town and had lived there for many years. He could be found at one of the three local bars almost every night.

Joe was big on doing what was right, so when a local teenager went missing, he started investigating. He figured out who the killer was before the victim was even found. He tried repeatedly to turn the killer over to the local police, but was ignored at every turn. Finally he went after the creep and was surprised by several of the guys friends. They beat him up pretty badly, cut his pony tail off and dumped him on the street.

Unable to imagine such a bunch of punks being able to do him any real damage, he went home and took some Acetaminophen for the headache. During the next 24 hours, the headache kept getting worse and he took more Acetaminophen... and more... and more. The headache didn't go away. He finally went to the doctor when he started feeling sick to his stomach. By the time he drove twenty miles to the doctors office, he was having severe muscle spasms and trouble breathing. He died before the doctor could do anything to save him.

I read a copy of his autopsy report, given to me by a mutual friend. The bruises and head injury were barely mentioned and the cause of death was listed as "Drug Overdose." The drug in question was Acetaminophen.

I did a little research and discovered that anyone who drinks alcohol, even small amounts, can die from mixing it with Acetaminophen. It shuts down the liver and kidneys and poisons the victim before they're aware that anything is wrong. By the time he felt sick, it was already too late.

I never use Acetaminophen, myself... and I don't even drink. Doctors will tell you that aspirin can cause stomach bleeding and that Acetaminophen is safe. They don't generally give any warnings concerning the drinking habits of their patients.

If you drink, even a little, Acetaminophen can kill you! Personally, I'd rather get rid of a headache and take a chance on a little stomach bleeding than be dead, wouldn't you? Think about it, please.